November 14, 2012

By Tim Sullivan

Detroit Free Press Special Writer

Football prospects in the 2014 class are more than a year away from signing national letters of intent, but some of the best players in the nation have started to separate themselves. On Monday, Rivals.com released its first 250 players to watch list, and it’s littered with Michigan prospects.

The most notable, of course, is St. Clairsville (Ohio) linebacker commitment Michael Ferns. The 6-foot-3, 230-pounder is ranked as a mid-level, four-star prospect, likely to fall in the tail end of the top 100 when the list is ordered. U-M’s other 2014 commitment, Chicago Hales Franciscan offensive lineman Denzel Ward, is not listed among the top 250.

Among the country’s top 10 prospects – the only ones who hold a five-star rating – are five players with U-M offers, including the future No. 1 overall prospect, Woodbridge (Va.) defensive end Da’Shawn Hand.

Among the top 250 prospects in the country, 45 total players hold U-M offers at this time – and that number is likely to grow. If the Wolverines can land even 14 of those top 250 players, they’ll be on pace to outdo the 2013 class (which has 14 commits in the 2013 Rivals250).

The state of Michigan is home to five members of the top 250 list, three of whom hold Michigan offers. Detroit Cass Tech cornerback Damon Webb and Detroit Loyola defensive end Malik McDowell are both highly-coveted players, while Grand Rapids Christian wide receiver Drake Harris picked Michigan State over U-M earlier this summer. The other two players did not hold U-M offers – and have already made their commitments. Cass Tech linebacker Deon Drake has picked MSU and Sturgis quarterback Chance Stewart is Wisconsin-bound.

Even with those players off the board, the talent that is still available in the 2014 class means the Wolverines have an excellent shot to reel in another top-10 group next year.

Tim Sullivan is the Football Recruiting Editor of The Wolverine magazine andTheWolverine.com. He is also a contributor to national football recruiting coverage on the Rivals.com network. You can follow him on Twitter @TimS_Wolverine.